Wringer



OC?. 4, 1927. s. E SCHROEDER WRINGER Filed Feb. 23. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 1,644,040 Oct. L74, 1927. s SCHRQEDERv WRINGER Filed Feb. 23. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 @MyX/6%;

Patented Oct. 4, 19217.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, WRINGER.

Application led February 23, 1922. Serial No. 538,455.

confine the clothes between the rolls and permit free separation of the latter; to provide improved tension mechanism for the rolls, which is compactly arranged and yet aords a wide range of operation and also permits unequal separation ofthe rolls at either end without imposing excess pressure at the other en-d; to completely house the intermeshing gears of the rolls; to vconstruct the gear housing with parts which automatically open and close; to permit separation andmeshing of the gears; and in general, to provide a wringer which is of simple construction, easily assembled, presents a better appearance and is safer to use than wringers heretofore available.

On the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a. vertical longitudinal sectional view ,through a wringer embodying my im- Y provements:

Fig. 2 a side view of the end of the wringer which contains the intermeshing gears;

Fig. 3 an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, Ishowing the upper roll swung away from the lower roll;

Fig. 4 a view similar to Fig. 3 and taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 an enlarged fragmentary view of the locking device for the upper roll taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;'and

Fig. 6 `an enlarged sectional view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1, showing the operating mechanism for the gear doors.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 1 indicates the main frame of the wringer which comprises an elongated trough shaped casting 2 with plates or standards 3 and 4 respectively, extending upwardly at opposite ends'thereof and preferably integral therewith. Said casting 2 is formed with curved reinforcing anges 5 along the lateral edges thereof and has depending lugs 6 adjacent the respective ends thereof.

The lower wringer roll 8 is journaled in the main frame 1 so that it sets down in the trough of the casting 2 substantially, as

shown in' Fig. 3 and the upper roll 9 is carried by a swinging frame 10, which is pivoted between the upper ends of the standards 3 and 4. This frame 10 is of arched form in cross section with flanges 11 depending at the opposite sides respectively, so as to house the tension mechanism and afford a rigid frame construction, and has depending end walls 12 and 13 positioned respectively adjacent the standards 3 and 4 of the main frame. The wall '13 has a bearing lug 15 projecting outwardly therefrom near the top and engaging a bearing aperture 16 in the upper end of the standard 4, and there is a bearing aperture 17 in the other end wall 12 of the swinging frame 10 in axial alignment with the bearing lug 15 and engaged by the cylindrical inner end of the cap screw 18, which is secured in a threaded aperture in the upper end of the standard 3.

lever 19 is loosely lmounted on a cap screw 20, which is secured to the standard 4, and has the lower end bent inwardly to form a locking tongue 21, which projects through a slot 22 in the standard 4 so as to engage a corresponding slot `23 in the end wall 13 of the swinging frame 10 for locking thelatter in position with the upper roll 9 carried thereby directly above and Aengaged with the lower roll 8. This lever 19 projects above the top of the wringer frame and has a knob 24 thereon for convenience in manipulating the lever, anda spring 25 has one end seated in a socket 26 in the pivot lug 15 of the swinging frame and the other end bearing against the inner face ofthe -lever 19. so as to yieldingly hold the locking tongue 21 in engagement with the slot 23 of the. swinging frame. The corners of the locking tongue 21 are rounded, as shown at 27, and the end wall 13 of the swinging' frame beveled or rounded at opposite sides, as shown in Fig. 5, so as to throw out the locking tongue 21 when the frame 10.is swung to the operative position and facilitate the locking of the swinging frame in such position` said tongue'21, however, vbeing adapted to 'engage in the vslot 23 to a sufficient depth so that the franie 10 cannot be swung from the normal operative positon without manua'lly releasing the locking lever.

Spaced a short distance from the endl plate 3 of the main frame of the wringer is an u wardly extending flange 28, which exten s across the wrnger frame 1 and connects the opposite curved side walls of the latter so as the end plate or standard 3 to a bracket 34 by the cap screws and forming the bracket with a bearing 36 for the'. drive shaft 37 which is coupled to the end of the shaft 31 in any suitable manner so thatl the latter rotates with the shaft 37.

The other end of the main framehas a pair of 'anges 38 and 39` both of which are similar to the flange 28 and form a pocket therebetween for the bearing block 40 which islike the bearing block 29 and supports the outer end of the shaft 31.y The outer flange 39 is space from .the end wall'or standard 4 of the main frame so as to afford .a compartment for the gear 41 which is fixed on the end of the shaft 31 and meshes with a corresponding gear 42 on the end of the shaft 43 to which the upper roll 9 is secured, said latter shaft being held in bearings at the lower end 'of the housings 44 and 45 which depend from the opposite ends respectively of the swinging frame 10. f

The housings 44 and 45 are formed by the end walls 12 and 13 respectively of the frame 10 and also end portions of the side flanges 11 of the swinging frame which are extended downwardly to a point adjacent the upper edges of the side walls of the casting 2. VEach housing 44 and 45 has a guideway 46 and 47 respectivelyextending upwardly from the corresponding bearing block pocket of the main trame with a' bearing block 48mounted -to slide therein. Each bearing block -48 is formed with a bearing slot- 49 in the lower end to receive the end of the. shaft 43. which latter is held in the bearing slot 49 by a bolt 50 which extends between the opposite side walls of the respective housing and serves also to hold the bearing block in the guideway 46 or 47.

VThe housing 45 is formed at the outer side with a compartment 51 corresponding to the gear compartment of the lower or main frame 1 and containing the upper gear 42, and. the side walls of the compartment are cut away, as indicated at 52, to permit said walls to clear the lower gear 41 as the frame-10 is swung to one side or the other of the main frame 1. llt is desirable that the openings afforded by cutting away the walls at 52 should be closed when the wringer is in the operative position and have, therefore, provided doors 53 for this purpose. These doors are pivoted to the frame 1 at 54 and a link 55 extends between the doors and has the opposite ends pivoted by a slotted connection 56t0 the respective doors. rThis link 55 has a plate 57 adjustably secured thereto intermediate of its ends by the cap screw 58, and a roller 59 at the upper end of the adjustable plate 57 is positioned to be engaged by the lower end of the wall 13 of the upper frame, said lower end being beveled at opposite sides of its center, as shown particularly. at 60 in F ig. 4, so that as the frame 10 swings to the normal operative position from either side of the main frame 1, an inclined edge 60 rides onto the roller 59 and forces the link downwardly so as to throw and hold both doors 53 up in the closed position. When the frame 10 is swung from the operative position, the pressure on theroll 59 is of course released, and the lower teeth of the gear 42 strikes against one of the doors 53 and open-s same, and the lower edge of the door is arranged to engage the end of the link 55 during the opening movement so that when the door is fully opened, the opposite end of the link is thrown upwardly thereby opening the other door so that if the -frame 10 is swung clear over the gear 42 will be admitted through the opening 52. The mechanism connecting the doors 53 is of light weight, and the doors made sutiiciently heavy, with weighted portion 61 on the outer side if desired so as to hold the doors in the open position.

For holding the roll 9 at a tension against the roll 8, two spring leaves 62 extend outwardly and have their outer ends engaged respectively on the vtop faces of the bearing blocks 48, and their inner ends carried by a block 63 which is pivoted on the lower end of a screw 64 which projects through a threaded aperture in the top frame 10. The upper end of the .screw 64 has a handle 65 fixed thereon for turning the screw in its threaded aperture so as to raise and lower the block 63, said block and screw thus :torming an adjusting member. Each spring 62 is engaged at the top and between the inner and outer ends by a coil spring 66 which is held by a nipple67 and serves as a resilient fulcrum for the spring 62` said springs 66 being preferably of greater resiliency than the springs 62` so that the lifting ot the roll 9 results fiirst in a compression of the springs 66 to their limit after which the compressed spring 66 becomes a fulcrum against which the spring 62 `is bent upon further lifting movement of the roll 9.

To confine the clothes between the wringerv shaft 43 of the up er roll. This plate has an inwardly exten ing flange 70 which embraces the ends of the rolls 8 and 9, as shown particularly in Fig. L, and serves to prevent the clothes from running out beyond the ends of the rolls. These plates swing laterally with the upper frame 10 and are held in the inclined position by engagement with the edge of the channel casting 2 so that the slots 69 are in position to be enga ed by the upper shaft 43 when the frame l is returned to the normal position.

The construction of the tension mechanism with the 2o-operating plate and coil springs affords a compact structure with` a widerange of separation of the wringer rolls. Moreover the provision of separate springs which are brought successively into action as the wringer rolls are separated, insures the proper tension for. leffectively wringing thick pieces. Another advantage accomplished by the construction of the tension mechanism as'above described is that the dividing of a leaf spring into two separate sections permits differential elevation of either end of the upper wringer roll without a corresponding increase in tension at the other end of the wringer roll as in the present machines, and the connection of the inner 'ends of the two sectionsof the leaf spring to the adjusting member nevertheless insures corresponding tension adjustment for both ends of the wringer rolls.

While I have shown and described my invention in a preferred form I am aware that .various changes and modliications may be made without departing from the principles of my invention, the scope of\ which is to be determined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a wringer, the combination of a frame having a pair of wringer rolls mounted thereon, a pair of leaf springs each having one end exerting a pressure on a wringer roll and the other bearing on an adjustable support, and auxiliary spring members disposed intermediate the ends of the leaf springs adapted to press one of the wringer rolls against th'e other.

2. In a wringer, the combination of a. frame having upper and lower wringer rolls journaled thereon, the up er roll being movable to and from the ot er roll, a pair of oppositely extending leaf springs connected with the' opposite ends respectively of the 65 said rolls. comprised of portions on both frames and including a door on one of the frames adapted to be closed in the normal position of the rolls and to be opened when the roll on the auxiliary frame is moved away from the roll on the other frame.

' 4. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of wringer rolls having intermeshing gears, a frame supporting the wringer rolls, and having a housing for the gears, an opening in the housing for permitting separation of the gears, and a door for closing said opening.

5. In a wringer, the combination of a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted thereon,l a. wringer roll mounted on each frame, in.- termeshing gears on the wringer rolls, a two'part housing for the gears formed partly on the main frame and partly on the auxiliary frame and having a door interposed` between said parts, `and means for automatically controlling the door by the pivotal movement of the auxiliary frame.

6. In a wringer, the combination of a main frame having an auxiliary frame pivoted thereon, a wringer roll on each frame, a pair of intermeshing gears on the wringer rolls adapted to be separated by pivotal move- Vment of the auxihary frame, a housing for the gears including a pair of pivoted doors,

`and a. controlling member for said doors cooperating with the swinging rameto lock and release the doors. i

7. In a wringer, the combination of a main frame, an auxiliary frame pivoted on the main frame, a wringer roll mounted on Ieach frame, and guards'at opposite ends of the wringer rolls embracing corresponding-end portions of each wringer roll and pivotally 'operable to permit separation ofthe-wringer rolls.

SIMON E. SCHROEDER. 

